The Collector: Doll in a box

Monday

Dear Collector: Can you tell me the value of my Shirley Temple doll purchased in 1938? I still have the receipt and original box.

Manufactured by Ideal Toy and Novelty of New York, this doll’s composition head is topped by a mohair wig. Clothed in shoes and a dress with the requisite Shirley photo tag, your keepsake’s value depends on measurement (there were more than a half-dozen sizes made). Since you retained the sales slip and box, I think an estimation of between $600 and $800 would be reasonable.

Dear Collector: I would like to know how much a 1922 silver dollar with a mistake in lettering is worth. It has a “V” instead of a “U” in the sentence “In God We Trvst.”

No error there; Anthony DeFrancisci opted to use the classical style found on Roman antiquities when he designed the Peace Dollar. Introduced in 1921, this 90 percent silver coin was minted until 1935, and it would be another 36 years before we had a new $1 coin: the 1971 Eisenhower Dollar. There’s not much variance in value between the pieces produced in the three mints located in Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. Probably $12-$15 for a coin in circulated but ungraded condition. When issued, your simoleon would have bought 10 gallons of gas, or a dozen loaves of bread!

Dear Collector: The tureen in these photos was brought to this country from Europe many years ago by my grandmother. Could you please discuss its origin and value?

Bearing a mark used by English potter Wedgwood in the last quarter of the 19th century, this undecorated “Royal Iron Stone” (i.e. earthernware) covered serving bowl is worth $50 to $75.

Dear Collector: How much do you think this Coca-Cola bottle opener is worth?

The slogan “Have a Coke’ is impressed on one leg of this circa 1950s giveaway, which has a current listed value of $15.

Dear Collector: We received this Ansonia clock in the 1960s from my wife’s great-aunt when she moved into a nursing home. Can you put a date on it, and give us any other background you may find?

This 1886 wood-cased model is the “Fulda,” named after a German river or the city which it flows through. Value, in working order, is in the neighborhood of $250.

Dear Collector: I purchased this French 20 franc note along with some other pieces of foreign currency at a yard sale. The seller knew nothing about any of the bills and only charged me $2 for the lot. Did I get a bargain?

Produced for France’s overseas possessions in 1944, it’s ironic that this note bearing scenes of French Equatorial Africa should be the legal tender of Saint & Pierre Miquelon, two tiny islands off the southern coast of Labrador. In fact, until I began researching your question, I never knew that France still had territory in North America. Value on this bill is $30.

Prices quoted reflect retail values, and as with many antiques and collectibles these values vary. Readers are encouraged to submit questions with photos to The Collector, P.O. Box 229, West Boxford, MA 01885-0229, or ask online at www.askthecollector.com. Please don’t ask help in buying or selling your items. Sorry, photos cannot be returned and will become the property of The Collector. For a personal reply, send $25 per item check or money order to The Collector at the address above.

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